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Myon Dam
Myon Dam is the largest dam in Myon, and in terms of reservoir size, the largest on the planet Maiyan. Its construction created Amiton Lake, who's surface area is a significant fraction of that of all 5 of the Great Lakes, though as its average depth is relatively low, it has less than a third of the volume of water that the Great Lakes have. Construction History Planning began for the dam in 0003EL and a location on the Amiton River was chosen due to both the river's relatively large flow, and due to its location in a large basin with a relatively narrow opening, making the construction of a dam here easier than other locations along the Amiton Plateau. The plans were modified in early 0005EL following additional exploration and observation of the region, as well as due to the landing of the starship Myon-3 in the northwestern part of the basin, instead of the planned landing location at Myonburg. After some deliberation, the people brought in by Myon-3 settled on the rim of the basin, and the dam was designed so that the settlement would be on the edge of the reservoir once it was completely filled. Construction began in September of 0005EL, starting with the diversion of Amiton River around the construction site, followed by the building of the base of the dam. In 0008EL, the reservoir was allowed to begin to fill following the construction of the base of both the dam as well as the intake system for the future power station. On May 18th, 0012EL, the power station was mostly completed and came online for the first time, though at a significantly reduced output due to it only containing 2 of the planned 20 turbines, and due to the relatively low level of the reservoir at that time. The dam itself was completed in July of 0015EL, with Amiton Lake reaching its current volume in 0020EL. In addition to the dam itself, 40 SLS class starships were built with the purpose of collecting water from other locations, desalinizing it if necessary, and then transporting the water into Amiton Lake, in order to supplement the water entering the lake though natural means. Ultimately, roughly 94% of the total volume of Amiton Lake was filled in this way over a period of 12 years. After the completion of the reservoir, most of these ships were decommissioned, though 9 of them remain active to this day, primarily in the transport of rock from asteroids or other planets for mining purposes. Upgrades In 0024EL, the dam was strengthened due to the threat posed by hurricanes, which were discovered to possibly be able to form on Amiton Lake. In response the dam was thickened and its height increased by 20m in order to survive any possible storm surge and waves on Amiton Lake without being overtopped. Additionally, a shield system was installed in order to further protect the dam in case of truly extreme conditions. Benefits The major benefits of the dam are its electrical generation, a reliable supply of water for the Amiton region, and the prevention of the threat of floods in the downstream regions. The knowedge of flooding in the region is relatively low due to only a short period of observation, however a relatively consistent pattern of at least moderate flooding during spring was noted due to runoff from snowmelt and other precipitation in the Amiton Mountains was noted. With the dam in place, the reservoir would catch this flooding and allow it to be released at a constant rate downstream. Water Storage In addition to protection from floods, the Amiton Lake reservoir also allows the surrounding regions to be irrigated in what was previously a desert, opening up large new areas for farming. Additionally, Amiton was made a waterfront city, adding to the tourism in the area and allowing fishing, boating, and other watersports. The region additionally now has a successful fishing industry based off of the lake. Power Generation The power station of the dam first came online in 0012EL, eventually reaching full capacity in 0022EL. Once it reached full capacity, it provided roughly 10% of the total power used by the nation, though this percentage has dropped considerably since then due to the continued growth of Myon. Environmental Impacts The creation of Amiton Lake caused many changes to the region around the lake, the most obvious being the change in the climate of the region. Due to the presence of the lake the central part of the Amiton Desert is not considerably wetter and is effectively split in two by the lake. Most of the rain that originates from the lake falls around the lake and eventually makes its way back to the lake so the loss of water by evaporation does not cause a significant change in the water level of Amiton Lake. This increase in precipitation has made the spring flooding of the tributaries coming out of the mountains more severe, but because it occurs before the tributaries form a single river, and because Amiton Lake is large enough to absorb the floods without a significant change in level, there is normally little damage caused by these floods as long as precautions are taken. Additionally, the lake is large enough and warm enough so that there is a possibility of strong storms, possibly even hurricanes, developing from the lake. As of 0150EL, no true hurricanes have developed on the lake, though 4 storms of roughly tropical storm strength have developed on the lake, and two hurricanes from the ocean have managed to reach Amiton Lake even after traveling over the mountains. Hurricane Aalec was the most notable of the two, and also the first hurricane to hit any part of Myon since it was settled by the Teerans. It made it to the lake at tropical storm strength, and managed to strengthen back to being a category 1 storm before making landfall near Amiton, before dying out as it passed though the desert to the north. Category:MyonCategory:Amiton LakeCategory:Dams